Trimming "height" of bamboo?

I recently bought a house that has a rather nice bamboo screen between my house and the neighbors. There is about 20' between the building, and an 8' fence. In that our dining room window is above the fence line, the bamboo adds a lot of privacy.

The problem I have is that the bamboo has grown taller than our houses. The wind catches it and bats it into both our roof and our neighbors roof. I don't want to remove or thin the bamboo, but I would like to shorten it. Can I just cut them off at the desired height, or would this kill them?

You could save what you trim off to make things out of, depending on how long it is. Don't throw it away. I've seen short pieces glued onto a coffee can for an attractive planter and tied with raffia, etc.